Sins of the Past: Future Legends
by Distant-Moon
Summary: Yukine Seto is just your typical Merchant's slave from the Satellite. But it looks as though her squalid life is about to change. That is, if Director Goodwin has anything to say about it. Yusei x OC
1. Prologue and Author's Note

**Summary: **Yukine Seto is just a merchant's slave from the Satellite Sector. But when she unexpectedly befriends Yusei and his friends, will she achieve her full potential as a duelist?

Rating: T

Adventure/Romance

Yusei F.

In Progress

**Disclaimer: I will not for any second pretend to own this series. My life is weird enough as it is. However, I do place claim to any OC's, as well as any changes made in the plotline of the series.**

**A/N: **Before I begin, I'm going to start off by saying that this is a Yusei/OC fic, and if you don't like that, then I'll apologize here and now. In the future, I hope to have plenty of Faithshipping for all you ravenous Yusei/Aki fans--so don't disembowel me; I am one of you. Rawr!

Another important note is that this story is going to follow the plot of the DUBBED version of the anime. Why? Because I don't feel like spending all my time looking up the subbed episodes on Youtube, Java, or any of those other sites. It's just easier to flip on Cartoon Network every morning for a mere half an hour of my time. I do have a life, you know, as hard as this is to believe.

Plus, in all honesty, I'm having way too much fun jabbing at 4kids and their corney jokes. Consider it a sorta-abridged-series. I mean one that _doesn't _suck. I'll be using it to provide some comic relief, here, if any of you give a damn.

So, without further ado, read on for the actual story.

----------

**Prologue:**

_When you were a little kid, did anyone ever ask you what you wanted to be? If so, you were lucky. It meant that you actually had a future. It also meant that someone cared about your future. Growing up in the Satellite Sector, I had neither luxury. For me, a good day was coming home at the end of the day without any new bruises and your teeth intact. Having a good night's sleep meant that you woke up wearing the same clothes you were wearing yesterday--waking up dressed in a bedsheet or nothing at all speaks for itself, doesn't it?_

_My life certainly has changed since I left all of that behind. I barely even recognize myself anymore, except I'm still wearing that same kitty-ears-cap I've had since I was little. So I guess I'm still me. How come I don't feel like myself?_

_I can hear voices, but they all sound so far away now. I feel like I'm lost in a current of lava, only it doesn't burn. Actually, it feels like being in a womb. For the first time in a long time, I feel safe...warm...protected...unreachable. I know that Fudo-san...that Yusei is calling my name outside. I can hear him. But part of me is too scared to answer him._

_I'm so lonely in here._

_I wonder now whether I made the right choice. Is it better, after all to be safe? Can one be totally safe and truly happy at the same time?_

_Well, Yusei? What do you think?_


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One: The Merchant's Slave, Yukine**

Some say that when the sun rose, it's light would bathe Neo-Domino City in its golden splendor before sinking into the bowels of the fault-line that separated it from the Satellite Sector. That was why that entire region seemed perpetually trapped in a dense shadow. In any case, dawn found the inhabitants of the Satellite immersed completely in gloom. Thick, black rainclouds swarmed over the heads of the unfortunate alley rats who lived there, and of course there wasn't a single umbrella to be found that didn't have at least one hole in it.

However, this did nothing to dampen the spirits of Yukine Seto. She was fortunate in that she only missed sunny days every now and then. They were so seldom that she could have convinced herself that they were but dreams if she wanted.

When she cracked open her eyes, she found herself looking upon the same things she saw every morning: a dirty, four-walled cell with a lousey mattress in the corner and a rusted, old-fashioned lamp. There were no windows and only one door, which was a good thing because it meant that there were less ways for people to get in. And being a very light-sleeper, if someone should try to push open that heavy door, the groaning of its hinges would wake her up immediately. Not that she'd be able to defend herself should she be attacked, but it was something at least.

Upon awakening, she was greeted with the usual cry from downstairs.

"Yukine! Where's my breakfast, you useless brat!"

As if she had been electricuted, the sixteen-year-old girl jumped to her feet. "Coming, Brick-sama!"

Her ruitine was the same every morning: wake up, cook breakfast for her boss (or find a way to procure it if there wasn't anything edible in the house--lest she feel the weight of Brick's meaty hand so early in the morning), wash up the best she could, then open up the store. Before she left her room in the morning, she always made sure of two, no make that three things: Number one, that no one had taken her kitty-ears-cap or her Duel Monsters deck--they were her only possessions, besides the lamp, and couldn't be replaced. Number two, that she didn't leave said lamp burning during the day--the last thing she wanted was to start a fire. And number three?

That she was wearing clothes on her back. What else?

Yukine straightened her cap before trudging downstairs to rummage through the pantry. Being the slave of one of Satellite's merchants, while not the most glamorous life a person could live, certainly had its benefits. For one thing, it ensured at least one meal a day, provided of course that your master had enough to spare. That was more that could be said of almost all of the miscreants on the streets. Fortunately for Yukine, her master, Brick Jacobs, made a steady income with his junk shop. On the merchant slave heirarchy, that placed her safely in the middle class--not too high up where someone would try to bring her down, but high enough so that survival on a day to day basis was quite feasible.

That, of course, meant nothing in the grand scheme of things. One of Yukine's most common sayings was, "There's no such thing as life insurance." Her mother had told her so countless times before she died of pneumonia in the slums. And, true to her words, the only things Yukine had inherited from her mother were half a crust of stale bread, her kitty-ears-cap, and a shrewd, self-effacing sense of humor (though most people just called it morbid and cynical).

She didn't even get to bury her mother. The only thing that seven-year-old little girl could do was leave the area before she would be forced to witness the body being devoured by rats.

Yukine suppressed a shudder. She _hated _rats.

Looking around, she quickly found the eggs she was looking for, along with some salt and pepper, and left the pantry as fast as she could. She had a very nasty feeling that there was a nest of the little bastards somewhere in one of the corners. Of course, she didn't go looking for them, either. Unless Brick gave her very specific orders, she never would.

It took her about ten minutes to prepare the eggs. By the time she brought in the tray of food to Brick, he was in a foul mood.

"What took you so long, you stupid little bitch?"

Yukine felt the urge to wince and quickly repressed it. The last thing she wanted was for her master to figure out what exactly got under her skin. He treated her badly enough as it was.

"I'm sorry, Brick-sama. I overslept."

She had learned the hard way that it was best to admit to her mistakes immediately and take whatever punishment she had coming just to get it out of the way. She could not afford to waste any energy worrying over things that were going to happen anyway.

Brick muttered a curse under his breath. "Just bring me my food, dammit. Lucky for you that I don't have time to beat some sense into you. Not now anyway."

Yukine wanted to slink out of the room, but something told her that this would not be tolerated well. So she stood her ground and waited until Brick dismissed her. Within the next two minutes, she was rewarded for her sheer nerve when he unexpectedly tossed a nugget of information her way.

"Got an important customer coming in a few weeks," he grunted in between mouthfuls of scrambled eggs. "In fact, it's a very distinguished gentlemen named Goodwin."

Her jaw dropped. "Not _the _Goodwin. As in, Rex Goodwin, the Director of Neo-Domino City!"

Even in the Satellite, Rex Goodwin was very well-known. It was no surprise that a complete bumpkin like Yukine knew who he was.

Knew him and cursed him for being alive. It was also well-known among the ranks of the downtrodden that Goodwin was partially to blame for the fault-line separating Satellite from the rest of the city. Or at least, for not doing anything about it. If he really wanted to, he could have built a bridge connecting the two places faster than lightning. No one could figure out why he simply allowed the Satellite to fester like an old wound; but it wasn't like anyone could do anything about it now. Goodwin was untouchable.

"The very same," Brick replied, puffing his chest out proudly. Apparently he was so pleased with himself that he forgot to be angry at Yukine for speaking out of turn.

"But why would someone from the elite upper class come...here? To the Satellite? It doesn't make any sense!"

"Don't know and don't much care. Business is business, ain't it?"

Yukine seriously doubted it. She never could trust a man in a suit, especially one that got involved with the Satellite. No self-respecting member of society would be caught dead in a place like this. The only customers they had were the people who lived and fed upon the junk they collected. She couldn't see what a man who already had everything could possibly hope to buy from their wretched little store.

However, she had enough common sense not to voice her suspicions _out loud_.

"Of course, Brick-sama."

"Good. Now go and open up the shop."

Yukine bowed before turning and running out of the room.

----------

Nuts and Bolters was located just on the edge of the market place. While it didn't get much street traffic, it didn't really matter. There wasn't that much street traffic anyway--given the suspicious commodities that could be found, getting caught in the middle of a transaction meant a free ticket straight to the Facility. So people tended to be as low-key and discreet as possible.

The real business came from the store's reputation. People in the Satellite were not accustomed to anything resembling a real store with fixed, and even better, low prices. Curiosity drew passerby in cautious packs, but it wasn't necessarily the goods that made them come back. Nuts and Bolters had your basic supply of tools and junk, along with a few other oddities that were just that: Oddities. Among them was the one, frighteningly upbeat store clerk. No one had ever seen anything quite like her before.

"Hiya," Yukine called towards the door as a customer warily edged inside. "Nuts and Bolters is the name, and junk's our game! Buy, sell, or trade, anything you like! You need it, we have it!"

She smiled cheerfully down at the boy, who looked to be around twelve-years-old. He was dressed shabbily in an oversized yellowish/orange shirt, green jacket, and a ratty pair of sneakers; and his long, kinky red hair seemed to cascade out of a green skater hat. Yukine noticed his innocent, wide-eyed expression upon hearing her greeting and almost laughed. She never got tired of that reaction.

"May I help you?" she asked sweetly, twirling the wrench that she had out on display.

"Um...I think so, yeah," said the boy quietly, looking around at some of the items on the tables. "See...a friend of mine is working on something really, really important. And...well...I was wondering if you happened to sell anything...well, anything that could be used in a D-Wheel..."

Yukine blinked at him. "Huh. We don't usually get requests like those."

The kid shrugged uneasily. She squinted at him, as though sizing him up. She decided that she would keep a close eye on him while he was in the store. He was broadcasting shoplifter like crazy.

"What's your name, kid?"

The boy looked up at her, hesitating. "Rally," he finally said. "My name's Rally."

Yukine's suspicious face softened. Sympathy rippled through her in a wave as an almost motherly instinct took over. She had seen enough children on the street--and had actually been one herself before Brick had taken her in--to know that stealing was a vital part of surviving. And he didn't seem like such a bad kid; not really.

His request certainly was strange, though. She didn't know what to make of it.

_Only one way to find out, _she thought to herself.

"My name's Yukine," she told him gently, offering her hand to shake. "It's nice to meet you."

Rally's caution was starting to ebb away in the face of her friendliness. He reached out and grasped her outstretched hand. "Nice to meet you too," he said, smiling happily up at her. "So...do you have anything for a D-Wheel here?"

Yukine didn't say anything. For a moment, her sapphire eyes had become slightly remote.

"Um...Yukine-san?"

"Sorry," she said quickly. "I was just thinking. Actually, we _do _have some parts that people bring in as scrap. My boss usually pays peanuts for them, but he doesn't really know what they're worth."

This was one hundred percent, certifiably accurate information. Brick didn't know what _anything _was worth, and relied solely on Yukine to tell him before he made any purchases. _The asshole wouldn't know a hammer from a wrench unless you threw it at him, _she thought bitterly. But she shook off the ill-feelings immediately.

"Can they be used in a D-Wheel?" the boy asked, narrowing his eyes at her.

Yukine beamed at him. "Sure can! I have to warn you, though; they aren't exactly in peak condition. The people who sold them to us brought them in as used parts...so, who knows where they've been?"

Rally's face fell. "Oh," he said quietly.

"The good news is that they'll be really cheap," she continued, watching his eyes carefully. "In fact," she added, "I think...I think I'm going to just give them to you for free."

His jaw fell open incredulously, as though he couldn't believe what he had heard. _Free_? D-Wheel parts were being given to him for _free_??? It was almost too good to be true.

"What's the catch?"

Rally cautiously scrutinized her as he asked his question. For some reason, she looked really, really sad now. He wasn't sure if it was because she was about to rip him off somehow and felt guilty, or because she was reluctant to part with the desired goods. Something along the lines of instinct told him that it was probably a little of both.

Yukine turned her gaze away from him, choosing to stare out the window instead.

"You can have them on one condition," she said softly.

"What's that?"

"You can't tell anyone where you got them, okay? Please?"

Rally frowned. Yukine looked really nervous, as though she was doing something she wasn't supposed to be doing and was afraid to be caught.

"Um..." he said slowly. "Can I...maybe...see the parts, first? Is that okay?"

"They're right over there on that table in the corner," she told him, pointing it out with the wrench. "Just be careful with them. Some of them might be sharp around the edges, and the computer chips are kind of fragile outside of a D-Wheel."

Rally's eyes bugged. "You have _computer chips_ too? In good condition, they're worth...a lot!"

"Go ahead and take them. My boss won't even notice they're gone..." _I hope, _she added mentally.

Yukine tried to focus on something else, but she couldn't help but feel the weight of the boy's eyes on her. It made her jittery and nervous. Just for something to do, she took out a Duel Disk that needed fixing even though it wasn't due until next week and started tinkering restlessly with it. She had expected Rally to just take what he wanted and leave the store as quietly as possible, but for some reason he kept lingering inside.

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. "Is something the matter, Rally?"

"Well...I'm just trying to figure out how come you're so nice. People here usually aren't so good to each other unless they have a reason to be. And...well, honestly I didn't think any girl from the Satellite could turn out decent. You from out of town or something?"

Yukine relaxed. "As if," she chuckled. "Seriously, what would I be doing in a place like this if I had a home somewhere else?"

"Ain't that the truth!"

She wanted to reach out and pat him on the head, but refrained. She knew he probably would consider that an insult to his manly pride, even though he was just a kid.

"But seriously," Rally continued, "whatever the reason, you're a good person, Yukine, and I owe you one. Big time."

"Like I said earlier, don't mention it. To anyone. Understand?"

"You have my word. From one friend to another."

While it warmed Yukine's heart to hear those words, she dismissed them in her mind as just another expression of gratitude from a kid she'd probably never see again. Rally walked towards the door with the parts in his arms and attempted a small wave in her direction. She ran forward and caught some of the things he dropped before they could fall to the floor.

"Thanks again," he said sheepishly after vowing to be more careful. Yukine hoped he wouldn't get robbed on the way home...wherever home was. "See ya, Yukine!"

The bell tinkled as the door swished shut behind him.

"So long," she murmured, watching the boy disappear into the street. _It's a shame I probably won't see him again, though, _she thought to herself as she turned back to finish her work.

----------

Yukine was only five years old when she first found out she was psychic.

Her mother had gone to scrounge up something to eat from one of the food stands in the market place, leaving the child to wait quietly by a dumpster in an alley nearby, within plain sight. Now, naturally two minutes doesn't feel like a very long time to someone like you or me, but for a child as young as little Yukine, it felt like an eternity. Too long, at the very least. Her mother had been gone for not even thirty seconds before she began to get jittery.

Looking around, she began to get better acquainted with her sordid surroundings. Piles of junk and trash lay strewn around her, and out of the corner of her attentive eye, Yukine just caught sight of something small and furry dart by.

Young blue eyes went wide as dinner saucers. Instantly, the child's mind became flooded with images of cats--fat ones, lean ones, spotted ones, and--best of all--purring, mewing kittens. She had been begging her mother for a kitten of her very own ever since they had accidentally stumbled upon a box full of them one evening. But her mother, Natsue Seto, had given her a stern reply.

"Yuki, what on earth would you do with a kitten? It's just an extra mouth to feed, and besides, it'll be dead by morning."

Yukine had whined and complained, but eventually let the matter rest the next day when she saw that her mother's prediction had come to pass. The kittens had been disease-ridden and looked it too; needless to say, they did not last the night. It took a long time before Yukine could be consoled.

Upon seeing the strange shape wriggling among the piles of trash, the dying hopes of having a little kitty of her very own were revived in a flash. Scrambling to her feet, she ran, hands outstretched, to pet her new animal friend.

Unfortunately, her new friend turned out to be nothing more than an alley rat. And as her tiny hands made contact with its furry back, something strange happened--strange and _very _unpleasant.

_Scurry, scurry, flesh, meat, food..._

Images flashed through Yukine's mind faster than her young brain could process them. The need to swarm, safety in a pack, swarm, feast, must keep running, must keep feasting, must keep eating, must fight for your supper...

_Food, need, so good...fresh, not resisting, no danger, feast, feast, feast..._

The rat's most recent meal lay sprawled on its back. An infant that had been born mere hours ago, left in a sewer drain to fend for itself. It couldn't even lift its head, barely had the lungs to breathe, let alone cry for help. It was too easy for the vermin to find, too easy for them to end its life. Then came the feast, the feast, the feast...

_Sink in your teeth, rip, tear, eat its flesh, pry it from its small bones...so good..._

No, Yukine didn't want to see any more. But the images wouldn't leave her head. The murder, the feast, the dead baby, she wanted it to stop. How could she make it stop? Where was her mother?

_Eat, drink, feast..._

No more, no more, no more...!

It wasn't until the rat sank its teeth into Yukine's hand that she let go. The child fell backwards and let out the breath she had been holding in. She gasped, swallowing the air as though she couldn't get enough as the tears created muddy streams down her cheeks--it had been a while since she had last bathed. She wanted to scream, but had forgotten how. She wanted her mother, but didn't know where she was. She felt so alone and afraid.

"Mama..." she whispered. Then, realizing that she had a voice after all, she tried again, this time much louder. "Mama...! MAMA!!!!"

Needless to say, Natsue came running when she heard her daughter screaming like that. A quick search of the child's body showed no broken bones, no bruises, no sign of any harm except for the bite mark on the back of her hand. A flash of maternal intuition discerned its cause almost immediately.

Natsue scooped the weeping Yukine into her arms. "Ne, Yuki-chan. Don't cry. It's okay. It was just a rat. It's gone now."

Yukine clung to her mother like a drowning kitten. Sobbing, she nestled herself as close to Natsue's body as she could reach. The familiar warmth felt like a protective barrier, and an overwhelming feeling of safety calmed her frazzled nerves. The rat was gone indeed.

"I...I saw things, mama," she choked. "Bad things...when I touched the rat..."

She couldn't get over how nice it felt to be in her mother's arms. But, of course, Yukine did not understand that the overwhelming sensation of love, of nurturing closeness, of affection--all the things she was feeling were things that were radiating from Natsue's heart. All she knew that the hug--that single embrace--banished all of those nightmarish images from her head instantly. Just as she had been sensing the desires of the rat, now she was sensing her mother's unconditional love. The latter vastly overpowered the other. It was no contest.

Looking up into Natsue's face, Yukine was startled to see how scared she looked. The last time she had seen her mother make that face was when she had been sick.

"What did you see?" she asked.

The child hesitated. "Mama?"

"Yuki, answer the question. _Please_."

Something in her mother's fervent tone told her that she _had _to obey. Just like when they were running from Sector Security last week, and her mother had said _please _to not make a sound. They had hidden in the sewer drain until the searchlights faded into the distance.

"It was eating a baby," she whispered.

"What was?"

"The rat. All of them, they were hurting it...killing it."

Without a word, Natsue went to rummage through the garbage, looking for something. After five minutes, she came back. That time Yukine had stayed put. She was too scared to move. Why was her mother acting so strange?

"I didn't find anything in the garbage. No babies. Or rats."

"But I _saw _it!"

Natsue looked grim. "I believe you." She was very quiet for a minute. Then, she looked Yukine in the eyes and spoke in a very firm voice. "Don't _ever _tell anyone else what you see, Yuki. They can't see these things, and if they find out that you can they might do bad things to you."

Yukine just stared at her mother with wide eyes. She didn't understand. Not yet. It would another two years before she learned the word, empath.

----------

Once Rally had left, Yukine slumped into her rusty folding chair, massaging her brow gingerly in a feeble attempt to ward off the headache bubbling just beneath the surface. She didn't regret giving those parts away, even though they were very rare indeed. She hadn't been lying when she had said that Brick didn't know their true value. It was likely that they wouldn't be missed. That wasn't what triggered her headache.

It was her powers. Using them, whether intentionally or not, always culminated in a killer headache. After years of this experience, Yukine had given these migraines the highly appropriate nickname, _psychic hangovers_. Sometimes were worse than others, but her contact with Rally had been brief. She had only shaken his hand long enough to get a general read of his character.

No, this wasn't all that bad. Not at all. She had had far worse psychic hangovers.

From what she could see, Yukine could tell that he was a good kid. She also could tell that he hadn't been lying--building the D-Wheel was important, very important to him and his makeshift family. She had seen flashes of them, a tall older boy with a blue bandana and a mean game face, a chubby young male with a warm smile, a skinny boy with glasses and a keen desire for knowledge, and a stoic-looking guy with piercing blue eyes. Somehow, though she didn't know the details, she could figure out that this D-Wheel they were building was the key to achieving all of their wildest dreams.

How could she not help them? Knowing what she did about Rally and his friends, to simply stand by and do nothing would brand her as nothing short of a crook. Really, in Yukine's mind, she had no choice but to give the kid what he wanted.

She groaned, rummaging under the counter for the half-empty container of aspirin. Even though she had no regrets about helping Rally, it was very hard not to be sorry in the wake of this headache. Damn these hangovers!

Still...there _was _that warm fuzzy feeling she had gotten when she saw such a huge smile on his face. It was something akin to the feeling of holding a purring kitten. His eyes had practically sparkled as he called her his friend--and it sounded like he _meant _it. Yukine Seto was glad. Friends were very hard to come by in the Satellite.

Too bad she wouldn't be seeing him again. Or so she thought.

----------

**A/N: Okay, there you go. Now you have a general idea of who Yukine Seto is and what it is she can do. To clarify, she is an empath--essentially, she can pick up the feelings and sometimes even memories of people she comes into physical contact with. This means skin on skin contact, but a simple handshake--provided that neither person is wearing gloves--will trigger a reaction.**

**Get it? She shook hands with Rally to see if he was a shoplifter, and saw that he was an honest person. Does this seem too Sue-ish for you? Let me know quick, because next chapter she's going to meet Yusei. If luck is on my side, I might be able to fix her character before it's too late.**

**This took me forever to write, dearest reader...so, you had better review! Do it! Do it now! RAWR!!! Fear me! Hell hath no fury like a writer scorned!**


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two: Friends and Foes**

The first rule when it came to wandering the streets of the Satellite was _not to_. If you absolutely had no choice, then caution was your best friend. Most of the denizens of the dark alleys developed a keen sense of it by the age of five--those who hadn't typically didn't live to that age.

Rally was one heck of an anomaly when you looked at those kind of statistics.

The twelve-year-old _did _have some common sense, though. This was why, as he was leaving Yukine's shop, he stuffed the more flashy and valuble parts in the inside pockets of his jacket. None of the passerby really bothered to look at a runt leaving the building with a few uninteresting-looking pieces of metal in his hands. It also helped that he walked at an even pace, neither looking too happy nor too nervous. He was careful, for a little while, not to broadcast _victim_ to the surrounding area.

Unfortunately, this only lasted for a few minutes. By that time, Rally had gotten to thinking about just how happy Yusei would be when he presented him with the D-Wheel parts. Especially the computer chips! And when he thought of that Yukine girl's smile when he thanked her, he decided that he absolutely _had _to come back to the shop to see her again.

_I just _got _to introduce her to the guys!_ he thought with a broad grin on his face. _I think I'll bring them with me next time I go. _

But then he remembered her request: "Just don't tell anybody where you got them...okay?"

Rally scowled as he considered the problem. "I wonder why she didn't want me to tell anyone..." he mused softly, slowing his pace a little. "It was like she was scared of something..."

He thought about it some more. Maybe she didn't want her boss to find out that she had given him such expensive parts for free. Or maybe the parts she had given him were faulty somehow, and she didn't want anybody to find out. Rally dismissed that thought immediately. He could tell that Yukine wasn't the type of person to con someone else; and besides, what would be the point? She hadn't charged him any money for the parts.

"Maybe..." he said slowly. "Maybe Yusei'll know why. But...ah, man, then I'd have to tell him about _where _I got the parts. I'd be breaking my promise to Yuki..."

At this point Rally was so lost in thought that he had ceased his vigilant scan of the doorways and alleys he passed. He had no idea that he was being followed. Silently, two hulking shapes slithered behind him, one of them holding a metal baseball bat.

The boy was oblivious.

"I could just say I found them," he thought suddenly. "Yeah, and that I met her afterwards. That's perfect!"

The sharp skittering sound of a pebble across the broken sidewalk jarred Rally's attention. Wheeling around, he saw the two thugs who had been about to ambush him. Seeing that the jig was up, they immediately charged towards him.

_WHAM!!!_

Something hard and metallic slammed into the side of one of their heads, causing the unfortunate target to slump to the ground with a concussion. The other looked around wildly, trying to figure out what hit his cohort.

The answer came within seconds as a second projectile hit its mark. The guy collapsed in a dusty heap, the bat clattering noisily as it fell to the floor.

"Can't leave you alone for five seconds, Rally."

"Hey, Blitz," he replied with a relieved grin. "Perfect timing! What are you doing here?"

"Don't you know what time it is? Yusei sent me to look for you. Speaking of which..." Blitz turned towards the alley, cupped his hands around his mouth, and yelled, "Hey, guys! I found him!"

There was the sound of footsteps, and Tank, Nervin, and last of all, Yusei emerged from the alley. They all looked relieved to see the boy in one piece.

"Last time we ever let you out alone," said Nervin, glancing pointedly at the two unconscious muggers. "Are you all right?"

"Aw, I'm fine. But look at what I got!" Rally proudly revealed the contents of his coat pockets, which were lined with the parts he had gotten from Yukine's store. "Aren't they great? Perfect for Yusei's D-Wheel!"

They all stared at the parts in confusion. "More than perfect. They look like they've been taken out of a scrapped D-Wheel...hey, where did you get these, anyway?"

"Um...I...found them..."

"Where?" Yusei asked quietly. He was watching Rally's face very carefully.

"Oh, you know...around. The dump, I guess."

"What do you mean, you guess?" Blitz wanted to know. "Hey, listen, Rally, if you stole those, then--"

"I didn't!" he said quickly. "I...I mean to say...well, I promised someone I wouldn't tell. But they're the real thing, and we're not going to find more of these lying around. So let's bring them to the hideout before we get jumped again."

Yusei considered this for a moment. On the one hand, it was a pretty sweet deal to have such valuble items, and Rally was right, they probably wouldn't find them again any time soon. On the other, however, there was the chance that--if the goods were stolen--Sector Security would track them down. If they found their hideout, it would be Game Over and a one-way ticket to the Facility for all of them.

"You promise that you didn't steal them?"

"I swear!" said Rally firmly.

There was a long silence as Yusei deliberated. "Let's go home," he finally said, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. They too had been hoping that he would let them keep the D-Wheel parts.

No one was made happier by the news than Rally. But there was still one more thing he wanted to know.

"Hey, Yusei, um...well, I met someone really nice today. I really want you guys to meet her. Is that all right?"

"_Her_? Hey, Rally's got a girlfriend," said Blitz with a sly look on his face.

"Girlfriend?! No way!"

They all smiled fondly at the boy's open disgust of the idea. He wasn't quite at the age where he could admit to liking girls. But that didn't mean that they couldn't tease the hell out of him for it.

"C'mon, guys!" he pleaded. "Cut it out, already! I'm just asking for you to meet her, not for your permission to marry her or something! Besides, she's way older than me. She's, like, your age."

"Is she cute?" Blitz wanted to know.

Rally scowled. "If you agree to meet her, you'll find out for yourself."

He tensed himself for more teasing, but to his relief Yusei put his hand on his shoulder. It was a silent signal to the others to quit it. They all stood there quietly, looking a little sheepish for their open interest in the subject.

"Any friend of yours is a friend of mine," Yusei told him.

It was settled.

----------

**Three Days Later...**

Saturday afternoon found the Satellite in a hazy attempt at a sunny day. Yukine, minding the shop, twirled the wrench she had on display, humming a tune that no one but she could recognize. The golden french braid swung behind her back in time with the strange melody. Outside, she could see the faint ripples of sunlight through the clouds and wished she could be outside to enjoy it. These days were rare indeed.

A group of teenagers was loitering by the display window. Half of her--a very bored half of her--hoped that they would come inside. But the other half of her wanted them to leave. After all, she had very specific instructions from Brick.

"If you see any street rats lingering on the premesis, chase them out. Paying customers only today."

She had a feeling that whenever this Goodwin was going to visit their store, it would be within the next week or so. Brick had outright refused to tell her the day, saying it was none of her business. This transaction, whatever it would be, was strongly pointing towards the suspicious side. And Yukine had a very grave reservations. If Brick was not taking every opportunity to boast about his "high connections," it tended to mean that something very illegal was going on.

Either that, or it involved her directly and Brick didn't want her to know about it.

Yukine was distracted for a moment when she caught sight of a small boy with red hair tugging on the arm of a much taller boy, leading him towards the shop. At a glance, she could see that he was about eighteen years old and that he was a duelist. There was no mistaking the Duel Disk strapped casually across his arm.

That was when it hit her that he was the same boy with the piercing blue eyes that she had seen in Rally's mind. And those familiar-looking people in front of the shop were his other friends.

_Rally? What's he doing back here? And why are his friends here too? What's going on?_

The two boys stopped to chat with the people standing by the display window. Apparently, judging by their body language, they knew each other really well. They were palling around the way guys typically did--with shoulder punches and whazzups.

All except for the boy Rally had been leading by the arm. He stood stock still, cool as a cucumber, with a slight grin on his face as he watched the others. However, she could also tell by his stance that he was one tough customer.

Yukine had had this thought before, that he was easily the most attractive out of the bunch. But just like before, she quickly dismissed the notion in the wake of a new suspicion. She had a feeling that these guys had planned to meet up here for some reason. And it probably had everything to do with Rally.

"Well, I'll be damned," she said to herself. "They're actually coming into the store...!"

The bell above the door tinkled. Yukine put her game face on.

"Welcome to Nuts and Bolters," she said emphatically, brandishing her wrench as though it were a baton. "We've got everything you need, buy, sell, or trade! How may I help you?"

Rally quickly pulled the others into the shop.

"Hey, Yukine! I want you to meet my friends!" Then, before anyone could get a word in edgewise, he began listing off the names of his companions. "These are Blitz, Tank, Nervin, and the quiet guy next to me is Yusei Fudo."

Yukine felt them staring at her and immediately became self-conscious. She wondered what they must have thought of her--the skinny, wrench-twirling girl wearing a strange kitty-ears-cap, a blue tank top meshed on top of a green and yellow striped t-shirt, and a pair of brown bermuda shorts. She also had a pair of knee socks tucked into a pair of blue sneakers. Tugging nervously on the hem of her hat, she attempted an air of bravado.

Of course, she failed miserably.

"It's nice to meet you," she said shyly. "I'm Yukine, and I...work here...sort of." She hesitated, looking at each one of them in turn. Her gaze rested the longest on the boy named Yusei. He seemed to be the leader of their gang. For one fearful moment, she thought that the parts had been faulty after all, and that they were coming to collect their retribution. That's what gangs did, right?

"Um...look, I don't know what Rally told you, but if you're here to return the parts, don't bother. My boss considers them gone for good."

Actually, when Yukine had told him that she had accidentally thrown the D-Wheel parts away, Brick seemed strangely calm about the whole situation. She had expected the beating of her life, and getting off without a single scratch put her in constant paranoia whenever she was around the house. She practically walked on eggshells around him now.

To her surprise, Yusei seemed confused. "What parts?" he asked.

Rally hastily interjected. "Um...Yukine, I was only browsing here the other day. _Remember_?"

Oh. So apparently they weren't here because of the parts. Now she was even more confused.

"Of course," she said quickly. "I must have been thinking about someone else's order or something. Sorry about that. Disorganization abounds this week, I mean look at the place!"

At that, the boys started looking curiously around the shop. "Hey, is that a Duel Disk?" the tall guy named Blitz asked, pointing at the thing she had been in the middle of repairing. It was sitting out on the counter in pieces. "You must be a duelist."

Yukine immediately saw where this was going and nipped it straight in the butt. "I don't duel. Now, or ever. But I do like fixing things like these for other people. It brings in a nice amount of money on the side. Plus, it's kind of fun, once you get good at it."

Rally looked somewhat crestfallen. "What do you mean you don't duel? Everyone duels! And you have a deck and everything!"

She narrowed her eyes in confusion. "I do? And how would you know that?"

"It's in the pouch on your belt."

"Oh, right," she laughed nervously. "Well, anyway, it's really good to run into you again, Rally. I didn't think you'd come back, you know? I mean, it's not like this place is going to put Satellite on the map."

Before the boy could reply, the bell above the door tinkled again. Yukine glanced up and immediately stiffened when she saw the lumbering man leering at her. An obvious trouble-maker by the looks of him, but she didn't want to make a scene in front of Rally and his friends. She was embarrassed enough as it was.

"Hey, toots," the man said, snapping his fingers. "I want my Duel Disk. You said it'd be done today."

"One second, sir," Yukine said to him. Hastily, she shot Rally an apologetic look. "Why don't you and your friends take a look around the shop while I handle this, okay? I'll only be a minute."

The redhead looked uncertain. He clearly didn't like the looks of this new customer. However, seeing the urgent look Yukine gave him he reluctantly gave his assent.

"Sure, if that's what you want," he said. "Got anymore parts I could use?" he added in a whisper.

"You know where they are," she said with a smile, giving him a confidential wink.

Smiling broadly, Rally went to examine the odds and ends left out on display. The others, as though having received a silent cue, did the same. Only Yusei, the quiet boy with the Duel Disk, remained nearby. He kept glancing at Yukine carefully, his mouth set in a firm line.

However, when their gazes met she quickly looked away, choosing instead to focus on the customer. Actually she had no choice. He had strode up to the counter and slammed his fist, hard, onto its surface, jarring her into adrenoline mode.

"I don't have all day, toots. Is my Duel Disk ready, or not?"

Yukine did not bother smiling at him. "I told you it'd be done in a week. You dropped it off three days ago. It's not ready yet."

"Whaddaya mean it's not ready yet? I'm paying ya, ain't I?"

She beckoned flatly towards the Duel Disk on the counter.

"Does it look finished to you, sir? Why don't you try coming back when I told you to. I promise it'll be as good as new then."

The man sneered at her. He was eying her crudely now, not even caring to hide his blatant interest. "And what if I said I ain't paying for it? Well, sweet-cheeks?"

She ignored his quip, refusing to show how disgusted she was. "Then you may as well leave," she said curtly. "Good bye."

He towered over her, leaning across the counter. "What if I said no? Whatcha gonna do about it, toots?"

Looks like it was going to be one of _those _customers again. Yukine had a hard enough time trying to ward them off on the best of days. In a crowded setting such as this, she had her work cut out for her. Witnesses meant nothing in the Satellite.

"I'll call Sector Security," she said cooly. "If you don't leave. I mean it."

"Now don't be that way, doll-face. Let's work something out. After all, you and I both know that behind that rough exterior, there's one pretty kitty just begging to be fed..."

"My, you certainly are a crude little troll, aren't you?" said Yukine scornfully. She reached for the phone on the counter. "I wonder how much your tune will change when your ass gets hauled into the Facility..."

"Like hell you will...!" he growled, grinning menacingly as he took her wrist roughly in his meaty hand. Yukine jerked as the breath immediately flew out of her lungs, her muscles locking in immediate panic. Her sapphire eyes went wide as a number of different emotions rocked her body at once.

_Fuck, not now...!_

"Let go of me...!" she croaked, trying feebly to escape his grip. Of course, she couldn't devote her entire attention to the task. She was also having trouble warding off these phatom emotions that were not hers, of forcing away memories that did not belong to her. The man laughed cruelly.

"Like I said, whatcha gonna do about it, alley cat?"

No, his grip was too strong. Yukine couldn't hold back anymore. All of that man's secrets came pouring into her mind, like an onslaught of water after the dam breaks. Crude thoughts and images, her face in his head, all the things he wanted to do to her, all the things he had done...

Just before her eyes rolled up into the back of her head, the man's arm was pried off of her wrist. The next moment there was the sound of flesh striking bone--a hollow thud sound reached her ears as the man's body hit the floor.

"She said to let go," said a flat voice.

Yukine's vision was spinning, but she could see the boy with the piercing blue eyes--the one named Yusei Fudo--standing over her. She sank to her knees, clutching her ears and trying to stop them from ringing. She felt nauseous, very, very ill. She knew that she was going to faint. She just didn't understand why it had to happen now, of all times.

"Yuki! Hey, Yukine!" Rally's voice went directly into her ear, not helping. "Are you okay? Yuki! Speak to me...!"

"What's wrong with her?" one of the others asked. The voices began swimming all around her. She couldn't escape against their well-meaning hands. She couldn't escape from all the feelings, all of those minds. Too many...too many...

"Stop," she whimpered. "Don't touch me! Leave me...alone...!"

"She's really pale," said Nervin, putting his hand on her forehead. Yukine jerked away from his touch as though he was made of fire. But it was an unnecessary action; he had already quickly withdrawn his hand. "And she's as cold as ice," he added.

"Hey, Rally," said Blitz. "Go see if there's a sink in the back room. Some water might do her some good."

"No...no water," Yukine rasped. "Just put me down!"

No one would listen. No one understood what it was that she needed. They had to stop touching her or the images would never go away. Her head was pounding now. Why didn't they see they were hurting her?

"Help...me..."

The last thing she saw was those piercing blue eyes of Yusei's widen in alarm before her entire world melted into a churning sea of darkness.

----------

Hours passed and the muttering voices continued to haunt her in her unconscious state. Her entire body ached, pulsing from the sheer closeness and volume of the people surrounding her. Like a pebble in the tide, Yukine forced herself to relax, to let the current carry her where it would. She hoped that soon it would be quiet again.

After a long time, she realized that she could recognize the voices.

"I hope she's okay," said Rally nervously. "She's been out for a long time..."

"Don't worry," said Yusei. "It looks like she's sleeping now."

There was a long silence, but Yukine could still sense the _something _in the air--an emotion she couldn't name right away, but hung around the room in thick slabs. Curiosity? Similar, but no. Suspicion? Not quite so hostile as that...but then what was it?

"Rally," said Yusei. "Those parts you brought home a few days ago. Did Yukine-san give them to you?"

Like the jab of a needle, she could sense Rally start beside her. "Um...um..." his stammering spoke for itself. Yusei put his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Did she?"

"How did you figure it out?"

She could feel his gaze drift to her. It felt like a gentle electric current swimming through her body, crackling the words, _you're being watched._ Yukine wanted to turn over, to get out of his line of sight, but she couldn't move her body. It felt too heavy to belong to her.

"I...had a feeling," said Yusei. "You seemed really excited about bringing us to meet her. And it was the same day you brought the parts home."

"Oh," Rally sighed. He glanced at the sleeping Yukine as well. "Just don't tell her that you know, 'kay? I think she had a good reason for wanting it to be kept a secret."

"I won't."

The boy nodded, shifting his gaze to Yusei and staring at him for a long time. After a minute, he met Rally's gaze with his own inquisitive one.

"What did you think of her?" he asked. The look on his face was vaguely anxious, clearly wanting the older male to approve of Yukine but worrying that he wouldn't.

"She seemed nice enough," said Yusei, frowning pensively. "But there's something strange about her."

"You got that right," said Nervin as he came into the room with a broom in his hands. He had taken it upon himself to sweep up the shop while Yukine was resting. "Did you see how she reacted to Blitz when he asked if she was a duelist? Weird."

"Actually, I was thinking about how she collapsed all of a sudden," said Rally sadly. "You don't think she's sick, do you? I mean, really sick?"

Yusei didn't say anything. He had gone back to staring at Yukine, brooding in silence.

"It _is _possible that she's anemic," Nervin rationalized. "Low blood sugar combined with stress, and _whamo!_ One sleeping beauty sunny side up."

Rally seemed to be cheered up by the suggestion. After all, anemia wasn't _fatal _or anything. "Hey, Yusei, do you think Yukine is pretty too?"

Just then, the bell over the shop door tinkled.

"Nervin, did you put up the closed sign?" Yusei asked.

The scientist-in-the-making nodded in affirmation. The three boys tensed, staring apprehensively towards the door, waiting for whoever had entered to make their presence known. Yukine, lying on the mangled sofa, became restless in her sleep.

"This is Sector Security!" boomed a voice. "All of you put your hands up!"

----------

**A/N: Not much to say about this chapter. Just to clear up a few things, though, for those of you who didn't get it:**

**1) Yukine collapsed because of her psychic powers. As you hopefully remember, they allow her to see into the mind of whoever touches her. Negative thoughts and memories tend to cause her pain and discomfort, and if she senses enough of it at once, she becomes overwhelmed. As a sort of defense mechanism, her mind just switches off, hence the fainting spell.**

**2) Yukine has some skills with a wrench, as seen in this chapter. She runs a repair service on the side, which makes her some side cash when she needs it. However, she is not the female version of Stephen Hawking. She obviously has limits as to what she can and cannot fix, depending on what parts she has to work with and her familiarity with the technology.**

**Sorry for ranting about my OC again. I'm just super paranoid that someone is going to point the Sue-finger at me. If I ever create a Mary-Sue, I shall do the fitting thing and kill off said character in a hideously stupid manner. As would be befitting a lame character. Anywho, I digress.**

**I hope you enjoyed. Review! Do it, I say!**


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three: Benefactors Big and Small**

_"This is Sector Security!" boomed a voice. "All of you put your hands up!"_

Yusei relaxed. He recognized who it was immediately. "It's only Blitz and Tank. Looks like they got the stuff we needed too."

At that moment, the two boys entered the room carrying a bag of groceries apiece. They also had a first-aid kit in plain sight. Seeing them wearing those mischievous expressions, Nervin stood up and glowered at them.

"That wasn't funny, you know. For a second, I thought you really were those Sector Security freaks!"

Rally could help but giggle. "You should have seen your face, Nervin. You looked like you were about to wet your pants or something!"

Nervin chose to ignore this.

"Anyway, I hope you guys weren't flashing that thing down the street," he griped, beckoning towards the first aid kit. "If it gets stolen, we'll be clean out of medical supplies."

"Nah," said Blitz. "We just acted natural. Tried to look as though we were ordinary shoppers. I mean, the last thing we need is Sector Security breathing down our necks, right?"

"How is she?" Tank asked.

Everyone looked down at Yukine. Even when she was knocked out, she could tell they were there. In some foggy recess of her mind, she could feel the worry vibrating around her in small tremors. There were five in all.

She groaned. _Make it stop...!_

"I think she's waking up!" Rally cried.

A cool, moist washcloth dabbed against her forehead. "Yukine? Wake up, Yukine."

She grimaced, swatting feebly at the person nearest to her. "Stop yelling," she croaked. "My head hurts enough as it is."

Relief. Cool, sweet relief washed through the room. These people had been genuinely concerned, and hearing her respond seemed to put their fears at rest. Yukine was puzzled.

"What happened...to me...? Where am I?"

"You're in the back room of the shop," Rally told her. "You passed out, so we brought you here until you woke up. Don't you remember anything?"

She squinted at the darkness as though her memory was hidden somewhere in the room. She shook her head as a means of reply and immediately regretted it. Groaning, she clutched her temples.

"Damn," she muttered. "This is a bad one...how long was I out?"

"Almost five hours," came Yusei's terse reply.

"Five hours?!? What time is it? I...I have to get back...dinner, and...oh, God, he's going to kill me if I'm late again...!"

Yukine pushed herself into a sitting position and tried to get off of the couch, but Yusei caught her shoulder and held her still. For a minute she was afraid that she would see into his mind, but then she realized--with relief--that he was wearing gloves.

"You're in no condition to be walking around," he told her. His piercing blue eyes narrowed at her. "Is someone expecting you somewhere?"

"My...my boss...he'll be really mad if I don't come home."

"You _live _with your boss?" Nervin asked in a high note of disbelief.

Yukine glowered at him. "I'm a live-in servant. _Not _a hooker, so get your mind out of the gutter, please."

The boy turned red underneath his glasses. Apparently that had been exactly where his mind had been straying. Hastily, he mumbled out an apology.

She sidestepped the apology, mercifully acting as though all was forgotten. "It's my job to run the shop and cook meals," she told them. "As long as I don't screw up, I can expect...tolerable living conditions. And at least one meal a day, free of charge."

_Which is why if I don't high-tail it soon, Brick will flatten me into a pancake._

"Speaking of meals," said Tank suddenly, "are we going to get dinner soon? Because I'm starving...and I'm sure Yuki-chan is too."

The girl blinked in astonishment. _Yuki-chan_???

"I'll make us something," Nervin sighed, pushing his glasses back up his nose. "Hey, Yukine-san, do you have a stove or an oven around here?"

"W-what? Um...not...quite an oven, but we keep a hotplate over...there..." she weakly pointed to the table in the corner, where a hot plate--among other bits of hardware--lay scattered about. Nervin picked it up and scrutinized it for a moment before nodding in approval.

"This will do."

"Wait a minute," she sputtered. "What are you doing? I have to get _home_! I can't stay here!"

"It's already after dark," said Yusei. "You shouldn't be walking around right now. It'll be dangerous."

_Not as dangerous as Brick is when he misses a meal._

"I'll be fine," Yukine assured him, trying to make herself sound strong and confident. She pushed Yusei's hand aside and slid off the sofa--but all at once her knees turned into jello, and she sank to the floor. The ringing in her ears intensified and her headache spiked.

"Yuki," Rally muttered, kneeling down next to her. "If you're not feeling good, just let us take care of you for a little while."

"One of us can call up on the phone," Blitz offered. "We can tell your boss what happened and not to worry. What's the number?"

Yukine went rigid. _"No!" _she almost blurted out, but stopped herself in time. Hastily, she forced a smile on to her face, the sight of which really perturbed them. She looked as though she had just been force-fed tobbasco sauce.

"Um...we don't have a phone at the house, sorry..."

Yusei frowned, but said nothing.

"Anyway, you've done enough for now," Yukine reasoned. "I'm assuming, of course, that it was you guys who chased off that thug this afternoon...?"

"That was pretty much all Yusei," said Tank with a broad smile. "Showed that guy what for, didn't you, Yusei?"

Yukine glanced over at Yusei again, curiosity glimmering in her sapphire eyes. The stare was returned with mutual feeling, and she found herself looking down at her hands again. _It's not every day that a handsome stranger comes to your rescue, after all, _she thought with chagrin. She hated herself for blushing.

"That guy was just a coward, anyway," said Rally fiercely. "Yusei offered to duel him, but he just took off."

"Like a rat with its tail in between its legs," said Blitz.

Yukine shuddered at the metaphor. "Either way," she said, "I'm not sorry to see the back of him. I hope he never comes back." Reluctantly, she looked up at Yusei. "Thank you, Fudo-san."

For the first time since she had met him, the knight in leather gloves cracked a smile. Yukine was relieved to feel his caution ebbing away. An aura of compassion and geniality hung around Yusei like a swirling golden cloak. It made the room feel several degrees warmer to her.

_I wonder how long it'll be until this wears off, _she thought grimly. _I can tolerate this when it's just physical empathy. Having a permanent psychic hangover might just drive me insane._

"It was no problem," said Yusei. "I wasn't just going to stand around and let him treat you like that." He paused for a moment, as though turning a thought over in his mind. "Do you get a lot of customers like that, Yukine-san?"

She flushed red and glared at the floor. "It doesn't matter what kind of person enters the shop," she said quietly. "A customer is a customer and business is business."

This motto had been lifted directly from Brick, who felt the need to literally beat the idea into her head. Hearing his words pass from her own lips made her feel sick to her stomach.

"That doesn't give them the right to say those kind of things to you," Yusei responded with a frown.

"They can do whatever they want," Yukine sighed. "It's not like I don't stand up for myself, but...I'm not really in the position where I can speak my mind...where I can fight back. Besides, that one guy today was an exception. Usually they don't try to hurt me or anything. They're just pigs."

"Still...it isn't right."

There was a long silence. It was broken by Nervin, who had been quietly cooking six steaming bowls of packaged ramen noodles on the hotplate. He brought the tray over to the table and handed Yukine a a pair of chopsticks.

"Dinner is served," he said. "Why don't we talk about this later? You need to get your strength back."

Yukine reached for the bowl, smiling in gratitude. She broke open her chopsticks with shaking fingers, and fumbled with them in her hands.

"Well, since I'm clearly not going to get any say in the matter," she joked. "Let's eat."

Then, trying to hide her rising dread and misery, she took a long mouthful of noodles. The ramen was pretty good despite it being the cheap, freeze-dried stuff you can get in the bargain bin of a supermarket. Flavor aside, it did nothing to squelch her thoughts of what Brick would do to her when she got home.

Everyone else was already digging in.

During the course of dinner, they started making small talk, and Yukine found herself asking the questions for once. It was a nice change. As she learned more and more about the boys, the more she enjoyed their company, and the more reasons she discovered to like them; which did a lot to loosen her up. She must have laughed several times during their colorful anecdotes, and a couple of times she was able to forget about Brick.

_I like these people, _she realized. _They're fun. And they do such nice things without expecting anything in return. I just wish there was some way I could repay them._

"...and Yusei doesn't usually sleep outside, you know, but he was really determined to find a specific part for the D-Wheel..."

"Guys, she doesn't want to hear about that," Yusei said suddenly, a slight flush to his cheeks. Yukine looked from one face to the other. She could sense without having to be a psychic that this was going to be one of those Kodak moments.

"Sure I do. What happened?"

"Well," said Nervin with a grin. "Let's just say that Yusei didn't expect to find an entire nest of roaches in his left ear when he woke up. When he felt the things crawling down his neck, he practically tore apart the entire hideout in a state of panic."

Yusei furrowed his brow. "I think you're exaggerating."

"And then Yusei ended up stumbling into a couple of garbage pails where a stray cat had been sleeping."

"What happened then?" Yukine asked.

"The cat woke up," Nervin replied simply.

Yusei turned red. "What can I say? I still have the claw marks to prove it." Sheepishly, he pulled up his sleeve, revealing the tiny red lines from where the feline had undoubtedly carved its vengeance.

The boys laughed. Yukine shook her head, truly feeling sorry for the cat. "That poor thing must have been scared out of its mind, Fudo-san. It's not used to having scary guys falling on it, you know," she teased him.

His eyebrows went up, amused. "Scary?"

"Well...actually, I think a better word would be intimidating," Yukine amended. "You look tough and determined from a distance."

"Aw, Yusei isn't scary," Rally protested. "I mean, yeah, he is kind of quiet. But once you get to know him, he's the most reliable person ever! He'll never let you down!"

Yusei smiled warmly at him. "Thanks, Rally."

"I didn't mean anything bad by it," she interjected, worried that she had made the wrong impression. "I can tell that you're a really good person, Fudo-san. In a way, you sort of remind me of an old friend of mine. Maxis Ohtani. Ever heard of him?"

"No, I haven't. Sorry."

Yukine grinned. "The guy couldn't help but come to the rescue all the time. Back when we were kids and living on the streets, he would keep all the bigger kids from picking on me. He was always so serious about it. I mean, when we first met I must have been, like, nine and he was eleven. We were both...you know, just kids...but we were both different from the others. The fact that we were both screwed up misfits was actually what brought us together."

She smiled fondly as she looked back into her memories.

"What's so strange about you?" Tank wanted to know. "I mean, you seem pretty normal to me."

Yukine looked at him, perplexed for a moment. "You mean...you guys don't...know?"

"Know what?" Yusei asked.

She hesitated. If they hadn't figured out that she was psychic yet, she certainly didn't want to have to tell them. In fact, it was probably safer for her if she didn't. What these guys didn't know certainly wouldn't hurt her.

"Nothing," she said quickly. "Just, you know...the fainting thing...? It's a health condition."

Sort of.

"And Maxis...well...he lost an arm when he was really, really little. So it had to be replaced with a metal one. A few times I had to make him a new one. Actually, for the most recent one, I had a Duel Disk built into it just in case he ever found himself in trouble. He seemed pleased with it...actually, it was one of the few times I had ever seen him so content. But that was a long time ago."

"You can _make _those sort of things?" said Nervin incredulously. "A working prosthetic Duel Disk arm? How is that even possible?"

Yukine looked very sad all of a sudden. "Necessity is the mother of invention, isn't it? Anyway, it didn't work nearly as well as I had wanted it to. He could move it, but things always went wrong with the dueling system. I wasn't nearly as good at mechanics back then as I am now."

"So why don't you just make a new one, then?" said Blitz. "One that works."

"Even if I did, I have no way of giving it to him. Maxis is in the Facility. He's been there for two years now. And I don't think they'll ever let him out."

There was a long silence.

"Hey, sorry, Yuki," said Rally, looking disheartened.

"Nah, don't worry about it. It was a pretty serious thing we did. Sometimes," she added, "I get the idea of busting him out, but then this voice in my head goes, all cynically, _'And then what?_' I never have an answer good enough. I just know that if I took a risk like that, I'd lose my job. We'd have to go back...make the same mistakes all over again."

She fell silent, pensively staring at the floor.

From the other room, the phone suddenly rang. The shrill noise pierced through the serene atmosphere like a jagged knife. The nostalgic expression slid from Yukine's face like liquid butter on seran wrap. Some of the color drained from her cheeks.

"Who the heck would be calling at this hour?" Blitz wanted to know.

"I'll get it," said Yukine tersely, pushing herself onto her feet. Oblivious to the stares, she left the room on shakey legs and began looking for the phone. When she found it, she stared at the receiver for a long time before she could swallow the lump in her throat. Tentatively, she picked it up.

"Hello?"

_"Do you have any idea what time it is, you stupid girl?"_ Brick's voice growled into her ear. She winced, holding the phone farther away. She was still a bit sensitive to noise.

"Yes," she said softly, trying to keep the bitter edge out of her voice.

_"Then why the hell are you still at the shop? Better yet, maybe you can explain to me why the goddamn store was closed **all afternoon**..."_

Yukine knew that if she didn't head him off right away, he would be yelling. She didn't want the others to hear the inevitable stream of curses. She hated the way she felt trapped, hated Brick for putting her in this situation, and hated herself for not being able to get out of it.

"Something unexpected came up, Brick-sama. I...I probably won't be home for another couple of hours..."

_"WHAT? Whaddaya mean?!?"_

"I mean to say that there was an accident, and I...I was unconscious for a while. A long while, actually."

_"..."_

"Hello?"

_"Was anything stolen?"_

"Um...I don't know. I haven't checked."

There was a long silence. Yukine waited nervously for him to start screaming at her, to promise her the beating of her life, to do anything then to just sit there on the other line, not saying a word. This quiet Brick was more terrifying.

_"Come home now. Or else."_

Then, without another word, he hung up the phone.

Yukine didn't realize she had been holding her breath until she felt the hand on her shoulder, jarring her attention. She swiveled on the spot, heart pounding as she found herself staring at Yusei with wide, frightened eyes.

"Is everything all right...?" he asked uncertainly.

She bobbed her head stiffly. "I...I need to leave now."

"Was that your boss?"

Another nod.

"I thought he didn't have a phone," said Yusei, frowning a little.

"I dunno," said Yukine tensely. "But that was him, all right. I have to leave now," she repeated.

"Want us to take you home?" he offered. "If you think you're strong enough to walk, we'll escort you."

"No," she snapped. "You've done enough."

Yusei was taken aback by her brusque tone. He blinked at her in confusion, but before he could say anything else they were both distracted. The others, having gotten curious, abandoned their bowls of ramen and went to investigate why Yukine hadn't returned yet.

"What's up?" Blitz asked, looking towards the anxious girl. "Hey, what's wrong with Yuki?"

"Nothing," she muttered. "Look, um...thanks for everything, but you all should go. Right now. I need to lock up."

No one said a word. After all, what could they possibly say.

----------

On the way home, the guys were uncharacteristically quiet and solemn. They were all startled and puzzled by the sudden change in mood, how Yukine had suddenly kicked them out after that one mysterious phone call. They couldn't stop thinking about it.

"She looked scared," said Rally quietly as they loitered under a streetlamp. "Really scared. You don't think something bad is going to happen, do you?"

Yusei didn't say anything. He too was wondering the very same thing.

"I think we should go after her, guys," Rally continued, looking up at his surrogate older brothers. "Just to make sure she gets home okay, at least."

"She said she didn't want our help, Rally," Nervin reminded him. "Besides, I get the feeling like we just got her into serious trouble with her boss."

"I dunno," Blitz cut in. "I don't like the idea of Yuki walking home on her own, either. She could barely stand, you know."

"Yeah," Tank agreed.

"Look, I don't like it any more than you do, but we're not doing Yukine any favors by sticking our noses in where it isn't wanted."

"What if she's in trouble, like you said?" Rally demanded. "We're her friends now, Nervin. We should help her, even if she can't ask us for it herself."

Nervin sighed and pushed his glasses farther up the bridge of his nose. He looked very agitated; troubled in fact. It was clear that the boy's words had struck a nerve with him.

"I like Yukine. I really do. She's friendly, she's down-to-earth, she has a good sense of humor, and she's even kind of cute in a way," he rattled off. He let this point sink in before he drove his real argument home. "But we just met the girl today, Rally. She isn't our friend. Not yet, anyway."

Rally made a frustrated noise and turned to Yusei in desperation. "Yusei, _you _agree with me, don't you? I mean, you were the one who saved Yuki today. If someone is in trouble, even if you just met them, shouldn't you do anything you can to try to help them?"

Yusei looked him in the eyes. He could see his own troubled face reflected in the boy's wide, earnest eyes. Indecision was evident for a long time before it miraculously cleared all at once. He had made up his mind.

"I'll go," he told him. "You guys just head back for now. I'll make sure she gets home safely."

Rally beamed. "You will? Thank you, Yusei!"

"Are you sure?" Nervin asked skeptically. "You're going through a lot of trouble just for some girl you just met."

"That may be true," said Yusei firmly. "But I can't turn my back on someone who needs help. Even if we just met, Rally considers Yukine to be trustworthy. She's his friend. And I meant it when I said that any friend of his is a friend of mine."

Then, without another word, Yusei Fudo strode briskly down the street in the direction that Yukine had gone. His friends stood there in a stupefied silence.

"Hey, guys," said Tank slowly. "You don't think Yusei'ssecretly a superhero, do you?"

Nervin facepalmed.

----------

**A/N: So, there you go, people. Yukine has finally gotten to know Yusei Fudo. Sort of. And we get a brief glimse of another future character, Maxis Ohtani. He's going to play a huge part in this fic, just so you know. And hopefully he won't be Sue-ish either.**

**We'll also hear from Goodwin next chapter...**

**If you're wondering why I'm posting so many chapters at once, I should let you know that I did a lot of planning for this fic ahead of time. That being said, I won't be able to update more than once a week. Anyway...um...I have one more chapter to post before I'm done. So enjoy it. **

**Review, or enter a world of nightmares. Your choice.**


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four: Warning Signs **

The night was surprisingly clear. Barely a cloud flitted overhead as Yusei searched for Yukine. Above his head, a waxing moon basked in its own ochre light. This was not necessarily a good thing. If stealth was his intent--and it most certainly was--his shadow might very well give his presence away. The last thing he wanted was for Yukine to spot him.

Yusei began to look back upon what little he knew about the blonde girl.

She had a particularly nice smile and an ameliorating disposition that tended to put anybody at ease. He had also noticed how accomodating she was--almost instinctively going out of her way to please whomever she happened to be around. It didn't seem like she had trouble doing that, but regardless she seemed to be very self-conscious. At least, that was the way it looked to Yusei.

And he had no idea why she seemed to count herself so short. Nervin had been right when he pointed out her good-looks, but her charm lay somewhere deeper. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, though. It was just something...natural. Like her smile.

_Though I get the feeling that she smiles to keep people away, _he thought. _Not to invite them in._

It was around this point where Yusei caught sight of Yukine. She was alone and walking as fast as she could towards the edge of the Satellite. The look on her face portended nothing but pure anxiety and dread.

_She looks like she just got a death sentence, _he thought, frowning to himself. _I wonder what's going on..._

Quietly, he matched his pace and kept a cautious distance behind her, avoiding the patches of moonlight against the sidewalk. Yukine didn't seem to notice him.

Suddenly, a loud voice startled them both.

"Oi! Seto!"

Yukine did a double-take, and for a moment Yusei was worried that he'd be caught. He had darted behind a dumpster just in the nick of time. Right at that moment, a tall young man in a black trench coat and cowboy hat came striding towards Yukine. The girl stared at the boy as though she couldn't believe her eyes.

"Johnny?"

Yusei scrutinized the guy again now that he realized that Yukine seemed to recognize him. Johnny had his long brown hair tied back in a ponytail, and his alert green eyes were constantly flickering to his surroundings. Yusei was very careful not to make a sound.

"Hey, Seto. You're looking..." he trailed off, the intended compliment dying prematurely. "Actually, to be honest, you look as though you dragged yourself out of a cemetery. What's up?"

Yukine looked very stressed.

"I don't have time to talk to you now," she said. "Dammit, Johnny, you pick the worst moments to show up right out of the blue like that."

"Why?" he asked. Then, he shook his head, not bothering to wait for her reply. "No, wait, let me guess: Brick is about to shit a brick, right?"

Yukine opened her mouth, fumbling for words for a good ten seconds before giving up. Her mouth shut with an angry snap.

"I'm very late," she said stiffly.

"All right, all right, I get it. Tight schedule. And Brick is probably going to pound your face in, am I right?"

"Don't remind me."

Yusei's eyes narrowed in dislike. _He's kidding, right? How can he say something like that with a straight face?_

Johnny shook his head slowly. "And here I was thinking you were getting a one-way-ticket outta this joint. What's this I hear about a certain Rex Goodwin coming to visit you?" he asked.

"Actually, it hasn't happened yet. How did you find out about that?"

"You just told me."

Yukine stared at him in silence.

"So what does he want? Goodwin, I mean."

"I don't know..." she murmured. "I think he has some kind of business with Brick, but he won't tell me what it is."

"That's not what I heard," said Johnny mysteriously.

Yukine just glared at him. It was clear that she was not in the mood for his games tonight, whatever they were. If he wanted to tell her something, then fine, but otherwise...

"Hey," he said, sliding back into a demeanor of false chivilry. "I can see that you ain't up for the long trip back to Brick's place, so how about I just cut to the chase? You tell me what I want to know, and I'll give you a ride home with the additional bonus of confidentiality."

"Johnny, _nothing _with you is confidential. Information is what puts bread on your table."

"True," he acknowledged cheerfully. "But some information is better kept to oneself. Information that could get you killed, for example."

Yukine considered for a moment. "Fine," she said. "But I want half up front. Take me home first, and then I'll tell you whatever you want to know. Assuming, of course, that I know the answer."

Johnny grinned. "Perfectly acceptable terms. And I don't think I have to remind you that I have ways of collecting payment from people who hold out on me...not after what happened to Ohtani."

As Yusei continued to listen to their conversation, he could see how angry Yukine seemed to get at the very mention of Maxis Ohtani. Question marks erupted in his head. Who was this Johnny person, anyway, and how was he connected to Yukine? What exactly did Johnny do to make her dislike him so much? Why was she even talking to him?

_Looks like there's a lot more that I don't know about Yukine, _he realized. _Especially if Goodwin is involved. What's up with that, anyway? What's going on here?_

"Johnny," said Yukine quietly. "If I wasn't an empath, I'd kill you for what you did. I mean it. I'll never forgive you for betraying Maxis."

"Harsh words for such a little kitten," Johnny laughed, patting her condescendingly on the head. She growled angrily beneath his hand. It looked as though she were resisting the urge to clamp her jaws around his wrist.

"Bastard," she whispered.

"As much as that hurts," he replied, "time is money, and in your case, it might just save your life tonight."

He reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out a pair of keys. Dangling on the end was something that resembled a garage-door opener, but when Johnny pushed the button Yusei was surprised. A pair of headlights belched out light from across the street and the revving of an engine could be heard.

_It's a D-Wheel, _Yusei realized.

"You're carriage awaits, my lady," said Johnny with a smirk.

Glaring at him, Yukine stomped over to the parked vehicle and waited for Johnny to get on before climbing in after him. She snatched the helmet he offered and put it on. Yusei could see her long, golden braid sticking out from underneath it.

Reluctantly, she put her hands around his waist. "Let's go," she said with a bitter sigh.

Yusei watched in stupefied silence as they sped off into the night.

----------

Yukine hated Johnny Ito. The man was sneaky and conniving, and prided himself on knowing things that others didn't. He wasn't above lying to his clients, and nothing you told him would be kept a secret if someone paid enough money to hear about it. To put it simply, Johnny was as untrustworthy and dishonest as a person could get.

Even if he liked you, you weren't safe. If Johnny got the idea that you were about to skip out on his end of the bargain, he'd strike so fast that you wouldn't even know what hit you. If you were lucky, he'd simply feed you lies and watch the shit hit the fan as you acted on false information. If, however, you somehow managed to get on his bad side, you could end up dead.

_Or in the Facility, _she thought. _Rotting away for life for a crime you didn't commit...just like Maxis._

She hated how easily he used people, discarding them when they lost their value in the information market. She also found it extremely infuriating that she never seemed to lose any value in his eyes. As an empath, she always knew things that she shouldn't and always would. She was a permanent gem in his collection of prized sources.

Which meant that, like a cold-sore, Johnny would always keep coming back.

Yukine frequently struggled with her conscience when it came to dealing with the wily informant. While she probably would have preferred to avoid him all together, Johnny was too dangerous to give the cold shoulder to. And, besides, he was probably the only person who could get Maxis out of the Facility.

If it was anybody _but _Johnny Ito, Yukine would already have tried. But she wasn't stupid. Something big like that would have a price tag that stretched too far for her to afford. And it wasn't very smart to give Johnny an IOU.

So in the mean time, while Yukine tried to figure out what could be done she put up with him the best she could. Whenever he came around the shop she would tell him what he wanted to know. In exchange, he usually brought her parts. Not your run-of-the-mill stuff, but _real _parts. In fact, that was where she had gotten the D-Wheel parts she had given to Rally.

And sometimes, she would trade information for information. _Tell me about Maxis. Tell me about the Facility. I'll give you anything you want if you can just tell me that._

Yukine couldn't help but feel as though she were bartering her soul in the process. But she had to admit that as sneaky as Johnny was, he never failed to make a payment. That was about the only thing about him you could trust: either payment or payback.

The D-Wheel came to a stop in front of Brick's building. Johnny flipped off his headlights but kept the engine going.

"Here we are," he said.

Yukine let go of him immediately, like he was something filthy that would have to be scrubbed off of her. She lost no time in getting off of his bike, turning towards the house.

"Ah, ah, ah," Johnny warned her. "What about my payment?"

She stiffened. "What was it that you wanted to know?" she asked wearily.

"For starters," he said with a mischievous grin, "who were those guys who stopped by the shop this afternoon? Friends of yours?"

Yukine turned slowly around to face him. "Yes. They're my friends."

For a minute, she hesitated. It couldn't be good if Johnny was asking her questions about her friends. It probably meant that someone was targetting them for some reason.

"Actually," she said cautiously, "if you want to know the truth, they're friends of a friend of mine. They kind of got me out of a tight scrape today."

"Angry guy who wanted the Duel Disk repaired?"

She replied with a stiff nod.

"Thought so," said Johnny, not looking at all surprised. "I heard a fight broke out in the shop, but that it was quickly resolved by someone named Yusei Fudo. That name ring a bell with you?"

"Like I said, he's a friend of a friend."

"So, why did you close the shop this afternoon?" he wanted to know.

Yukine exhaled sharply. "Look, that really isn't any of your......dammit, Johnny, I have to get inside!"

Her reaction told him everything he needed to know. In fact, he seemed kind of amused by her blatantly angry outburst. "You did it again, didn't you?"

She fixed her gaze on the ground. Her silence was the very admission of guilt. Johnny laughed quietly to himself, circling around Yukine as though she were a particularly engaging work of art. He examined her from several angles, but she knew that his interest was purely business. Nothing lewd, but then again that was little comfort to her.

"I want to know about Yusei Fudo," he said, breaking the silence.

Yukine stared at him for a long time. "I thought you were going to ask me about Goodwin," she said warily, cowed by his blunt request.

"You don't know anything about Goodwin. In fact, I know more about Goodwin than you do."

"That doesn't surprise me at all," she muttered.

Johnny was silent, waiting. Yukine knew by his attitude that this was information he needed, and that it shouldn't simply be tossed to him like a scrap of food for a beggar. She planted her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes up at him.

"I don't know much about him. Nothing you'd find worthwhile, Johnny."

"I don't believe you."

"I just met him today, you know."

Silence. The face off lasted for a full minute this time.

"You'll be seeing him again, right?" he asked finally.

"Maybe. Maybe not. I honestly can't say."

"If he comes back," said Johnny seriously, "I want you to look into his mind. I want as much information on him as you can get. I can make it worth your while, you know."

Yukine laughed in sheer disbelief. "Really?" she said. "Let me tell you something, Johnny; Yusei Fudo saved my butt today. I owe him a lot more than to just sell him out to the likes of you. So tell me how the hell you could possibly make _that _worthwhile?"

"I can get Ohtani out of the Facility."

Silence.

"What did you say?"

"You heard me, Seto. I can get you Ohtani."

"I don't believe you," she said immediately. She was shaking her head nervously, trying to ward off temptation like it was a bothersome fly circling around her face. "You're lying."

Shit. This was bad. Yusei must have been hot shit indeed if Johnny was offering such a hefty reward for information about him. Any information. And that meant that he was willing to do anything to get it. She didn't know what to do.

"Tell me the name of your client," she demanded. "And I might consider it."

Johnny shook his head. "Sorry, kitten, but _that _is a bit of knowledge that I _know _you can't afford. The offer stands as is. Take it or leave it."

"I...I..."

"Well?"

"Do I have to decide this now?" she demanded desperately, looking nervously over her shoulder. Inside, she knew Brick was waiting for her. "The longer we keep this up, the angrier Brick will be when I get inside."

"Ah, the tight schedule again. Fine. I'll give for now. Anyway, I'll know soon enough whether you mean to pay up. Until then, I'll be waiting."

With that said, Johnny revved his engine again and drove away. The look on his face was like a chess player who knew that checkmate was well within his reach.

And Yusei Fudo was the king he intended to capture.

"Fuck," Yukine muttered.

Listlessly, she turned and headed for the front door. When she got inside, she thought she had walked into the wrong house.

Upon first glance she noticed that it was unusually clean. As though someone had taken the time to thoroughly scrub down the place. Somehow, the thought of Brick actually doing house work was like trying to imagine a rodeo clown in a duelist bar. It just didn't happen.

Not without good reason, anyway. And Yukine quickly discovered the reason in the sitting room.

"You're late," Brick growled angrily. "We have company tonight, you know."

She could see that. Sitting in the chair across from him, engaged in what was obviously a business transaction, was Rex Goodwin. He had a pleasant smile on his face as his gaze met Yukine's. He seemed quietly amused by her slack-jawed expression.

Now it made sense. Brick must have been trying to impress Goodwin. That was why everything was so neat and orderly. The sitting room was usually kept spotless anyway--it was a place reserved for Brick's most important (and secret) business meetings; either with other merchant lords or high-ranking supply men. Despite the compulsive cleanliness of the room, however, the ceiling was a charcoal gray, stained from the smoke of countless cigars.

"Um...I...sorry about that..." she mumbled, dropping her gaze submissively to the floor. She immediately made to exit the room, knowing full well that she was interrupting. Besides, Brick hated having her around during one of these kind of meetings.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" he demanded roughly. "Didn't you hear me? We have company. Sit down, already."

Yukine froze, looking bewilderedly from Brick, to Goodwin, to Brick again. "You...want me to be here?" she asked uncertainly.

"Why do you think we waited for you? Don't make me tell you again..."

Sensing the danger in his tone, she immediately grabbed the seat in the corner. It was as far away from both Brick and Goodwin as she could find. Quietly, she plunked down into her chair and watched the two of them warily. She hoped her apprehension wasn't evident on her face.

Goodwin smiled. "Why so shy? Why don't you sit a little closer?" He patted the sofa cushion beside him.

It was not a request. Yukine rose slowly from her seat and took her place beside the Director. She kept her gaze cautiously on her hands, which were folded restlessly against her lap.

"Very good," said Goodwin. He put his hand on her shoulder; she found herself involuntarily stiffening. "Are you comfortable?"

Mutely, she nodded her head.

"Look the man in the eyes, idiot," Brick snapped.

With a sigh, she lifted her gaze to the man's face. He seemed unruffled by his host's brusque attitude. Even more bizarre was the way he seemed so genuinely intrigued with Yukine. She was just a merchant's slave. There was no reason for him to be paying her any special attention...unless...

She narrowed her eyes at Brick. "What's going on, Brick-sama?"

"Ask him. I don't know anything about this. He came to talk to you, not me."

Yukine couldn't believe he had actually admitted that out loud. Brick looked really angry about it, too. She had a nasty feeling that she was going to hear about it later. And, unfortunately for her, he had a tendency to let his fists do the talking.

Tentatively, she looked at the Director again. "What do you want with me?"

Goodwin flashed a very charming smile. "I've been wanting to meet you for a long time, Yukine. You're a very special girl."

That certainly was news to her.

"Why did you want to meet me, Goodwin-sama?"

"I'll tell you soon enough," he promised. "But first..."

The Director beckoned towards the doorway. To her unpleasant surprise, a vicious-looking midget of a clown strode smartly into the room, taking small but dignified steps. He bowed to Yukine and glanced reluctant acknowledgement at Brick. Then, he fixed his beady gaze on Goodwin himself.

"The car is waiting, Director," he said with a smirk that made Yukine's skin crawl.

"Thank you, Lazar. Is everything ready for our guest?"

"Indeed."

"Very good. Yukine," said Goodwin, turning to the girl beside him. "I hope you don't mind making this trip so late at night. In any case, it can't be helped now. Shall we go?"

He held out his hand to her. She eyed it suspiciously.

"We're going somewhere?"

"What I am about to discuss with you is of upmost confidentiality. What I'm about to discuss with you isn't necessary for certain ears to hear and dangerous if heard by the wrong ones."

"Hold it," Brick snapped, rising to his feet. "Anything you want to say to my servant can be said directly to my face. I won't have you conspiring behind my back."

Goodwin's smile faded a little bit. "Lazar," he said tiredly. "Will you handle this while I escort Yukine to the car?"

Lazar's smile was nothing short of pure malevolence as he turned his gaze to Brick. When Yukine saw it, she felt a little bit afraid. She had a nasty feeling that something was going to happen the moment she was out of earshot.

"With pleasure, Director. This won't take very long at all."

"Very good. Come along, Yukine."

Goodwin's hand was on her arm, and all of a sudden she felt herself being led out of the room. The Director's grip was both gentle enough to seem curteous and firm enough to remind her not to try to run away. As she glanced nervously into his face, she wondered if he could feel her pulse--if he knew how much her heart was racing right now.

His facial expression was benign, but it reminded Yukine of the smiling jaws of a shark. At that moment she came to a sudden realization that brought a solid lump into her throat:

_What if Johnny wasn't trying to threaten me tonight...? What if he was trying to warn me? _

And now it was too late. There was no escape.

----------

**A/N: Dun, dun, dunnnnnn! Yukine's been kidnapped by Goodwin! Well, sort of. It was more of a forcible escort, but you guys know what I mean. How will she escape? Does she even want to escape?**

**AND we meet yet another OC of mine. This time I think it's safe to say that this character is NOT a Sue. In fact, I'm very pleased with the way I drew this guy out. Johnny Ito, the informant. Who does he work for? Why is he interested in Yusei? Well, sorry. I'm not telling you. You'll just have to REVIEW and then read on to find out.**

**Just so you know, if I don't get reviews, I won't bother updating. Wow, I sound majorly harsh considering that I posted all these chapters in one day. Let me remind you guys that this is a one-time thing, the uber-updating, I mean. But reviews certainly help the creative process...AHEM.**

**I'm just saying, reviews tend to indicate interest. So review, and I'll update.**

**Please?**

**Pretty please?**

**Oh, the hell with it. Do it, or I'll rip up Yusei's Stardust Dragon card. I feel my hand slipping...**


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